Population Me

In my own little world it hardly ever rains
I’ve never gone hungry or always felt safe
I got some money in my pocket, shoes on my feet
In m own little world
Population me

I try to stay awake through the Sunday morning church
I throw a twenty in the plate but I never give ’til it hurts
and I turn off the news when I don’t like what I see
it’s easy to do when it’s
population me

What if there’s a bigger picture
what if I’m missing out
What if there’s a greater purpose
I could be living right now
outside my own little world

***

These is the first part of a song by Matthew West that culminated a long thought process for me. I love how thoughts can stew inside for a long time, ruminating, mulling over, coming to the forefront and fading into the background. I rarely write when an idea first comes into my mind, because it generally takes a while to take its true shape. Eventually it gradually forms into something definite, or sometimes there is a trigger that erupts it like Old Faithful.

This song was definitely a trigger.

How easy it is for me to be inward looking, to be involved in myself and my own little family.

This all began a couple weeks back with a speaker on the radio program "Focus on the Family." The host and guest reluctantly agreed that, at times, there can be too much focus on the family. This statement was made with much hesitancy and proviso, but the nugget at the centre bore some truth. Even in our families, our mission here on earth is to glorify God and develop the charity which is His central characteristic. That is impossible, or at least extremely difficult, to do when our attitude is one of "population me."

So I am going back to school.

I have a preschool homeschool curriculum that is called "Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve." I picked it up because of the second part - the learn to serve. I truly believe that an attitude of service toward others is the primary factor in shaping a grateful and selfless person. I want to raise my boys that way, and I want to become more like that myself.

It won't be anything world-changing; not on a grand scale, at least. But I'm hoping it will be moment-changing or day-changing for people I come in contact with, and life-changing for me and my family.

I am beginning in a simple way. I'm not quite ready to begin the preschool program, so instead I am beginning by listening. I want to open my ears and my heart, to really listen to those I am around, to hear their needs and then find ways I can meet them. And I'm hoping that the population in "my own little world" will gradually start to grow.